


Killer Instinct

by LadySmurf



Series: Heart on the Blade [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Fantasy, Gen, Magic, Middle Ages, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Strong Female Characters, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-02
Updated: 2016-11-25
Packaged: 2018-08-12 15:22:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7939594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadySmurf/pseuds/LadySmurf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thirty years of strained peace left Ethereum hanging by the thinnest thread. It was only a matter of time before someone cut it completely.</p><p>Ari Aceria, Princess of Aurora, rejected her life of luxury to rise through the ranks and become the youngest Commander to stand as protector of the people as the city descends into chaos. While the Shroud Soldiers continue to steal without consequence, her people continue to struggle. After many years of strife, crime is at its peak and the guild has made sure to deprive the people of resources they desperately need to survive.</p><p>In an act of desperation to stop this guild of thieves, the King strikes a deal with one of its old member; one who sits in the deepest part of their dungeon for her infamous crimes of not only theft, but murder. Now, Ari must form an unlikely alliance with the person she fears the most, and choose between holding onto her own morals or becoming the person she swore she would never be in order to restore peace.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posted 9/2/16  
> 

"No. No! Absolutely not!"

"But why not?"

"Because it’s dangerous and foolish!"

"Are you saying I'm foolish, Alek?"

"N-No, that is not what I meant, your grace." Alek's voice quivered. He held his equally trembling hands up, trying to placate the king.

Zafar’s glare turned cold as he looked upon his friend. He leaned forward with his fists bunched up on the table in front of him, causing the atmosphere to become tense. Dozens of ideas were thrown around for hours but this one seemed to be the worst one yet. It appeared as though they would never come to up with a solution everyone would be happy with.

Alek tried to ease the rising tension in the room. "My lord, I meant no disrespect. I think it’s a ridiculous idea to let someone as dangerous as her let loose back into the land. You said it yourself she would never see the light of day again after what happened with-"

"Enough!" Zafar yelled. Everyone jumped as the pound of his fists against the table echoed throughout the room. He eased his grip and looked at his own, shaky hands, fully aware of the consequences of getting too angry. Among the silence was an opportunity to speak.

"Father, if I may say something?" With a huff, Zafar leaned back into his chair and flicked his wrist, allowing her to continue. "I have to agree with Alek. It is too dangerous to let someone like her out, especially after everything she’s done. I'm sure there is another way to solve this. We don't need her 'help.'"

The king’s chair creaked as he gripped the armrests. Even standing so far away, she could feel the heat emanating off him. She was afraid he'd lose all control in the moments to follow.

Zafar took in one giant breath and slowly let it out. "But Ari," he said calmly through his teeth. She already know he was going to try to sway her position. "Can't you see all our efforts of stopping this chaos have been unsuccessful? We don't have the proper knowledge and tools to deal with this ourselves. I know how hurt you were, but you need to trust me when I say this is the only choice we have left."

_ Were.  _ As if she still wasn't hurt. 

Ari held her arms out to the side. "Trust you! After what you've done to me, you expect me to trust you?" She inhaled deeply and held it. Her eyes shifted around the room. Every member of the council looked horrified; a sign they all knew what she was referring to. They knew this topic would worm its way into the discussion one way or another. She let out her jagged breath and looked to her father, who was always ready to defend his stance on the matter.

It was clear this was a conversation neither of them wanted to have again. "Listen, I know it's a risky plan but she has everything we need. If we make this deal with her, she is bound to help us." Risky was an understatement. He looked to the man at his right. "What do you think, Cain?"

Cain's dark eyes skimmed the silent room as his hand rubbed over his stubbly chin in thought. Everyone waited in anticipation for him to speak. In a weary voice, he finally stated his opinion. "I think we should proceed with the king's plan. She does have valuable information. It'll be a waste not to use what we have available to us. Knowledge is as good as any sword when it comes from reliable resources."

Alek sneered, " _ Reliable  _ resources? She'll play us at every turn, and you're a fool to think otherwise. Nothing about this plan would be beneficial to us."

"Perhaps not, given we have the right incestive. The idea of freedom can sway anyone to do anything. Still, she'll teach us how to think like thieves," he replied, tapping his forehead. "If we could figure out how they are pulling this off and why, we could take the necessary steps to stop it. Who better to teach us that than one of their own?"

"I suppose you have a point," Alek sighed. Although he agreed, it was clear he was not fully convinced.

"I stand with Cain and the king as well," a voice uttered from the other side of Cain. Vera; the woman in charge of how their coin was spent and on what. "We need our trade routes to be safe and secure again. If we continue down this path, our city won't have enough coin to even afford bread within the year. I say the only way to stop these thieves is with one ourselves."

While she doesn't control how goods get to where they need to go, much of their coin has gone to waste due to caravans getting ransacked and robbed by the Shroud Soldiers. And while wealth wasn't a problem for them, it was for the citizens of their city. The guild did not discriminate when it came to doing what they do best: stealing. They had made it their sole mission to deprive the city of necessities. Now, she and Cain wanted to use somebody who walked among their ranks.

"How could any of you agree with this outlandish plan?" Irene finally spoke after hours of fighting. As the senior diplomat of the council, she was known to solve issues peacefully through negotiation; the king's proposal went against everything she stood for. Though, negotiating with thieves didn't seem very likely. "You are suggesting we fight fire with fire; this will only cause larger, more uncontrollable issues!"

The room fell silent again as they took time to collect their thoughts. Ari couldn’t help but smile at Irene; the fact that somebody else agreed with her and Alek was heartening. But, the smile she got in return was an exhausted one. Ari slowly scanned the room with her emerald gaze. The first thing she noticed were Cain’s eyes. They were starting to droop as if in any second he would fall asleep. They have been here nearly all day, so that was a predictable response. She then glanced at Vera, who was looking at Cain in concern. Vera placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him slightly to keep him awake, while her other hand rubbed at her own eyes. A sudden movement caught her attention next. Alek slouched into his chair with his head nestled into his hands as a sigh escaped his lips.

Lamps hung from the walls around them, casting dark shadows upon the stone while simultaneously creating a warm ambience in the room. A large chandelier hung from the ceiling above the round table. One by one all the flames slowly started to fade, making it feel like they were gradually descending into a hole deeper than the one they kept their prized prisoner in.

Ari walked over to the window, trying to find a moments peace among the constant fighting. The cool draft was an unexpected feeling from the warm summer nights they've had in the past. A shift in the seasons was coming, something she didn’t necessarily like. The outside world was still and calm. Very subtle sounds of clicking crickets and the rustling of leaves could only be heard among the standstill. She looked upward to the sky. The moon was bright, providing a soft, silver and somewhat mellow atmosphere to the land. It was so peaceful. The amount of destruction that could follow this serenity if this plan went through was something she didn’t want to have to think about.

"Maybe we should retire for the night," Zafar finally said through a heavy, exhausted sigh.

Ari turned towards the table again. The sound of wood crackling took over as everyone sat up in their chairs and let out a collective sigh of relief. She walked over to Alek, who still had his head down in his hands.

"Alek?" But he didn’t budge. "Alek!" she said again a little louder. He finally looked up to her, seemingly distressed as if he were caught having thoughts everybody could hear. Their eyes met for a moment, and his weary gaze now appeared distant and empty. Ari didn’t think anything of it. She placed her hand on his back and spoke softly. "We are calling it a night. Go get some rest. We will continue this discussion another time."

"Are you alright Alek?" her father was quick to ask.

Alek frowned, and looked to the floor. "I think we should go along with the king’s plan."

Ari's eyes widened. "What!" she and Irene yelled in unison. She was fixated on him, waiting for an explanation.

"Yes, I find this plan outrageous and dangerous, but the king is right. To stop the guild, we need help.  _ Her  _ help. She has knowledge and skills we do not possess." He looked towards Irene, shaking his head slightly. "There is no way we can trust her completely, but we've been at it with the guild for two years now. Think about how quickly we can put a stop to this."

"Skills?" That part caught Ari's attention the most. "Are you seriously suggesting we use her on the field now too?" She walked halfway around the table, away from Alek. Her mouth twitched as she let out a small chuckle of laughter, but it was in no way joyous. "That’s just bidding death upon everyone in the city!"

"You are over-exaggerating, Ari."

She snapped back quickly, "Am I?" Although she knew that might have been exaggerated, what he suggested will ultimately cause death, which was something Ari refused to let happen again.

"Alek," Irene spoke up calmly, "you say this as if our problems will be solved within a matter of days. You think the guild isn't anticipating us to strike back? They'll be prepared. And we must be ready for things to go wrong in more ways than one if we do this."

"Perhaps not in a few days," Cain cut in. "However, we have the element of surprise; one of their own to lead the charge and put an end to them. I don't think anyone would be anticipating  _ that. _ "

"What reasons would she have about fighting her own guild? Who’s to say she has any reason to go after them at all? She has more reason to go after us instead. We are the ones keeping her locked up."

Alek looked a bit livelier now as he got up from his chair. "Like Cain said. Incentive. If she agrees to help us, we can take the necessary precautions to make sure she does not cause trouble."

Irene turned away from everyone and stared at the wall for a long time. Ari swallowed hard at the thought of her actually considering changing her mind.

"You think that'll be enough to get her on our side? As soon as she is able she can and will turn on us. You said it yourself, we cannot trust her." Irene’s voice rose. "We spent far too long trying to catch her. Now, all of you want to release her and undo all the progress we’ve made since. If the people find out about this, and find out we've been lying to them, there will be an uproar we cannot afford to have. Sure, she is just one person, but this woman has instilled an everlasting state of terror in this city we cannot overlook! There's simply too much at stake here. We cannot take the risk of letting her out!"

"You make some valid points, Irene," Cain agreed, nodding his head. He rubbed at his chin again. "But, he persisted a few moments later, "all the 'progress' we've made since has long been undone already by the rest of the guild."

Ari tilted her head slightly, letting out a deep breath. She pushed the loose hair out from in front of her face behind her ear. "Cain, how could you of all people think one person can tip the scales in our favor? What more can she provide us that you think will help and won't lead us into a deeper hole?"

"She knows the guild, their leader, where they've been hiding all this time. This is information we've been trying to gain for years, and we are just one conversation away from getting it."

"Why must we let her out then if we are 'just one conversation away?' Surely we don't actually need to let her out at all. I say we just force it out of her instead and get the job done ourselves." All the pained expressions made her quickly realize she was in the wrong.

"What you are suggesting is called torture, Ari," said Irene in a soft, saddened tone. "I do not agree with this plan as much as you, but that is not, and should never be, a means of gaining information."

Ari's chest tightened, and broke all eye contact. That was way out of line and she knew it. She felt nauseous with the very suggestion. Nobody should suffer from something so inhumane, no matter how horrible they may be. That's what she always believed. Though, the desire to have someone executed could be held to the same standard. She admitted she was confusing herself on what she believed to be morally right in this moment.

"Look," Cain let out a deep, exhausted breath. It seemed like everyone wanted to move passed her horrific suggestion. "We have an opportunity to use one of the best to take down the guild and put a stop to this. This needs to end, and needs to end soon. Crime is worse than it's ever been. Our people have already turned on each other for food, shelter, medicine. How long until they also turn on us because of our inability to help? Don't you see how many more problems we are facing because we continue to do nothing?"

_ " _ One of the best, _ "  _ Irene snickered _.  _ "And also one of the most dangerous. You are choosing to forget all the pain and despair she has brought to this city alone!" She leaned back into her chair. Her and Ari observed Cain as he now appeared completely annoyed.

Cain's voice was strained. "I am not choosing to ignore anything she has done. What I am choosing to do is look at the bigger picture; something you fail to do because you are clouded by emotions!" He was looking at Irene but his words pierced Ari's heart. She knew they were directed towards her. Cain made some good points, and it bothered Ari that she even agreed with the things he said. She knew the severity of the issue and what was at stake. But she was holding tightly onto the belief that there was another way around this.

"Why don’t we let a final vote decide where we stand?" Vera asked rapidly, but also warily. She looked to Zafar, who nodded his head in approval. "All those in favor of the kings' plan?"

Ari clutched at her own arms. She was tired of arguing but didn't want it to end. They've done as much as they could to change Cain's mind, which was probably the wrong approach. Cain was stubborn and daring, and this plan went right with his personality. But even so, she thought he'd be more considerate about this whole ordeal given everything that happened. However, being considerate now likely won't stop the Shroud Soldiers.

Judging by Vera's expression, she seemed conflicted about where she stood on the matter, despite her readiness to end the debate. Ari could tell she was a bit more hesitant now than she was before by the hint of concern in her voice. Perhaps something they said changed her mind. Although, she made it clear she was willing to take this risk if it meant getting things back to normal. Ari didn't think she realized she was willing to work with a thief who has stolen more than just physical objects.

Vera didn't seem to budge, which was disheartening. Cain didn't change his mind either, as suspected. They both raised their hands along with Alek, who surprised them all. Irene and Ari stood their ground and refused the plan. But, they were clearly outnumbered.

"It’s settled. We will proceed with the plan," Vera stated blandly. It was hard to tell how she felt, even though she was one of those who agreed to it.

"I can’t believe this!" Ari yelled as she slammed her sword down on the table in a rage. Everyone jumped at the shattering sound of metal hitting wood. "I can't believe you are all willing to let her walk free after everything she’s done!"

"We should put the plan into motion immediately," Zafar continued, ignoring her outburst. "Tomorrow Alek, Ari, and I will go down to the dungeon and confront her with our offer."

Ari’s mouth hung open for a moment. "Me? What makes you think I want any part of this?"

"You have just as much part in this as anyone else here. I think you could use this as an opportunity to-"

"An  _ opportunity _ ?" she questioned, cutting him off. "I hope you say to kill her!"

"Ari, enough!" Zafar paused for a moment. He rubbed his hand over his mouth and exhaled. "This may be our last chance to stop this. We need her. Do not mess this up for us."

Her shoulders dropped as she stared at her father. They needed  _ her,  _ but not Ari? She looked away from him and to the floor, not wanting to make any contact with anyone anymore. Ari folded her arms and clutched her sides as if they were in pain. If he was so worried she'd ruin everything, then why was she being dragged into this in the first place?

"What if she does not want to take our offer?" Irene asked, detering their heated argument.

"We’ll get her to accept it, at any cost. We need to," Zafar said confidently.

"My lord," Alek began with a trembling voice, "tomorrow is a bit too soon. Nobody will be prepared for this. We have very few guards stationed within the castle."

He was right. A good majority of her men were patrolling the city practically all day and night to make sure the guild doesn't do anything more drastic than just their usual stealing. Ari had to spread herself, and the entire castle, thin trying to make sure their people did not feel unsafe in these difficult times.

"I'm sure what we have will be sufficient to stop anything and everything if it comes to that."

Ari scoffed, " _ If _ ." She glanced at her father, who shot her an intense look like she was going too far.

"But maybe you are right," he said as he looked back to Alek. "However, we cannot delay this much longer. How about we say, three days' time? Will that be enough time for everybody to prepare?"

Everyone looked at each other and agreed, whether they were for the plan or not. They had to put trust in somebody, so they put it in their king. Zafar dismissed the meeting but Ari stood as if she were petrified. She had so many mixed feelings preventing her from moving, all she could do was watch everyone as they left. Vera now looked pleased as she walked out with a grin stretched across her face. Cain and Irene walked out together, evidently unfazed by the outcome. Alek leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes as if he were going to sleep right here.

Ari sighed as she finally built up enough strength to move again. She took her sword from the table and fastened it to her belt. Her gaze wandered back to her father, who stared at her with his own murky, brown eyes. He beckoned her to come closer.

"I’m sorry Ari, but this is the best option we have. I hope you'll understand one day." He tried to get her to reconsider one last time. But it wasn’t going to happen.

"I don’t understand. I don’t think I'm ever going to understand. You know what she is capable of and what she has done. How could you put blind faith into somebody like her?" Ari's eyes started to glisten with something she hasn’t felt in years: tears. She noticed Zafar's own pained expression through her blurry vision. He could see how much this upsets her. He  _ knows _ how much this upsets her. But his face hardened again as he spoke.

"Ari, I have to do what is necessary to protect my family and my kingdom. Surely you can at least understand that."

"If you want to protect us then this wouldn’t even be up for discussion. We already-" Ari choked on her words. She was too upset to fight any further, fully knowing it will do no good anyway. "I will go along with this plan of yours despite my feelings. I will do my best."

"Thank you," Zafar said with an empty smile, "you can go now." It appeared she had convinced her father, but not herself.

Ari nodded and walked away fast. A single tear ran down her face as she left the room.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this and want to know more (eventually) follow my very neglected Social Media Pages! Hopefully I'll have stuff to say in the near future!
> 
> Tumblr:/heartontheblade,   
> Facebook: @HeartsAndBlades,   
> Twitter @HeartsAndBlades


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posted 9/9/16  
> 

Ari ran from the room with a glowing red face and a fiery rage in her eyes. But that didn’t stop tears from building up within them. She was ashamed for letting her emotions get to her like this and wiped away the tear rolling down her cheek, taking only a few steps down the corridor before she stopped. She had to stop. Her knees felt like they were going to give out any second; a feeling she was all too familiar with from training for hours at a time.

She leaned her back and head against the cold wall. The coolness of the stone was only able to take away some of the heat she felt radiating off her body. But it couldn’t take away the burning sensation she felt in her heart. She closed her eyes to find comfort. Unfortunately, there was none to be had.

_ Why is this happening. _ Her heart ached in her chest. Ari opened her eyes and noticed Irene standing at the end of the hall. They both stared at each other for a short time before Irene slowly started to walk over to her.

"Now that the arguing has come to an end, my headache seems to have finally gone away," Irene said as she stopped in front of her. "How are you doing?"

Ari glanced up at her, not knowing what to say. But she had more than just a headache as well. She studied Irene's face, and noticed all the small wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. Her hair used to be a couple shades lighter than Ari's; a light brown. But the amount of silver stands made her look much older than she was. She wasn't even the oldest among the council, but she has done quite a bit to keep Aurora, and the entire land, safe. The stress from the job seemed to have finally caught up with her.

Irene wasn’t much of a storyteller, but she used to tell Ari about her experiences traveling to the other cities to solve diplomatic issues. Most issues involved prisoners and unlawful activity. Growing up, Ari was influenced heavily by Irene. She always managed to stay true to her beliefs no matter how tough the job got. Death was never an option for her, and she would always find a way around it. Zafar must've picked up a thing or two as well, since he thought giving a chance to the one person who didn't deserve such a kindness was a good idea. That was one thing her and Irene disagreed on, if nothing else.

Due to the guild's recent activity, many people have started to see weakness within these walls. Many questioned Aurora's recent criminal problems but they've remained quiet about it. They want to show Aurora is still the most durable and prosperous city in the land. Though, it's become progressively harder to uphold that feat each passing day as the Shroud Soldiers kept taking with no consequences to be had.

Those issues tie into her other duties regarding peace between the cities. Since the first uprising, no one city had fully recovered. Though it was short, it was indeed costly, and the aftermath had left a lasting stain on the land. But, thanks to Irene, they've been given hope and peace of mind over the last three decades.

However, no amount of talk about peace and hope will revert this fear back to bravery and prosperity. Not until the guild had been stopped. Trade was scarce because nobody wished to do business with them in fear of their caravans getting ransacked by the guild. Even if there haven't been any serious casualties, yet, Zafar refused to send Irene anywhere anymore. With everything going on, it was too dangerous to even set foot outside the castle. And knowing how much she hated violence, it gave him even more reason to keep her here. Ari knew she was getting antsy to get back out there and help. She was never the type to sit back and watch the land suffer.

Ari admired her for their similar views. They were both willing to fight for what they believe in. Except, their definitions of fight were different. Irene had a sharp tongue. Her power of persuasion was her greatest, and only, weapon. Ari on the other hand, was willing to do things using more aggressive means. Killing somebody was never an option though, which was something they both wholeheartedly agreed on. However, Ari had gone astray with those views lately. She wondered how long it'll be until she completely abandons her views to help the city thrive again.

After a long, drawn out silence, Ari gained enough energy to speak. "Isn't it obvious?"

Irene nodded. "Yes, I suppose it is. But you must understand that falling apart now will do no good."

"I don’t plan on falling apart," Ari countered, trying to make it sound as convincing as possible. "Whatever happens, I'll be prepared to face it."

Maybe she was trying too hard now. All she received back was a judgmental gaze from Irene. Ari wanted to prove how strong and capable she was. But Irene was not the one she needed to prove that too.

"Well, as you prepare for what's to come allow me to offer you a bit of advice. Don’t lose sight of who you are and hold onto your morals. The last thing we need is someone like you losing yourself along this dark road ahead of us. Cain was also right. We can't let emotions cloud our judgement to do what is necessary for the greater good. I would hate to see all this end with death, but this very well may be our only option left if we are to have peace."

Ari shook her head slightly as she found her words surprising. The problem was so severe that not even Irene was able to see a peaceful outcome. Irene was ready to abandon her own morals and beliefs to stop this chaos. At the same time, she asked Ari to stay true to them; to have at least one sane person left. But it appeared she abandoned them long ago as well, since she wished death upon somebody who deserved it the most. After everything that's happened, she believed she had all the justification in the world. The last thing Ari wanted was senseless killing, but at this point it seemed unavoidable.

By now, all Ari wanted to do was be alone and there was only one place she could go to do that. She gave Irene a quick smile and pushed herself off the wall. Turning away, she walked down the corridor, leaving the old woman in the darkness. She came upon a spiral staircase leading upward into a tower.

She strolled up the stairs and stopped in front of the door. Ari held the handle for a few moments, staring at it intensely as if she knew she were about to walk into a nightmare. When she finally stepped inside, she was hit with so much anger and sadness, she slammed it shut behind her, causing a loud bang that echoed through the walls. The sound of wood cracking made it seem like the door was about to break. It really did feel like she walked into a nightmare. Ari was sure anyone near her room heard the echoes but she didn’t care. She was angry and now everybody knew it.

Her chambers were in one of the three towers that stood high, overlooking the castle walls. It was a small, rounded room with very little to offer. She didn’t spend much time here at all. Partly because she was uncomfortable being here and mostly because much of her time was dedicated to training the guards to the best of her ability. She would spend all day making sure those she commanded were in the right mindset and shape to take on any task they were given; some advice she had to take for herself now. But because of her long days of training, she usually stayed in her room in the barracks with the rest of her men.

Ari removed her belt, which still had her sword buckled to it, and leaned it against the wall next to the door. On the right side of the room stood a mannequin she used to display her armor. The mannequin hadn't been used in so long a thick layer of dust coated its surface. She brushed it off the best she could and started to take off her armor. All the armor was made to her liking to provide decent protection that wouldn't diminish mobility. It was made from a lightweight steel that, when finished, was smooth and cast a shiny silver color. The man responsible for this creation, who just so happened to live in Aurora, was deemed the finest armorer in the land, so she knew she was getting the best from the best. It was expensive, but wealth was the last thing her family needed worry about.

The breastplate provided protection to her chest and neck with a simple flower design carved near edges. One segmented pauldron covered her left shoulder, and a blue shawl with an Aurora stitched into it draped over it that could be pulled over her head. Both forearms were protected from the elbows to the backside of her hand by steel vambraces.

Ari was left standing in a long-sleeved tunic with a corset made of thick leather strapped tightly around her body. Her long breeches were tucked nicely into her knee-high boots that had several buckles keeping them securely on her feet. Though, now some were a bit loose. She walked to the opposite side of the room and sat down on a small, cushioned stool in front of a vanity. Ari removed the boots, throwing them to the side before she turned towards the mirror. She used her sleeve to wipe the dust from the glass and stared into it for a long time.

Her face was no longer red but she still felt hot. At this point, her hair was a bit damp with a few strands out of place. She undid the bun and braid, letting her hair fall over her shoulders before running her fingers through it to straighten it out. Only after a few minutes did she realize she hadn't sat in front of a mirror for so long in a while, and decided this was enough for one night. Or maybe a week.

She looked to her left and stared at the large, wooden wardrobe standing alongside the vanity. Ari opened the doors to the wardrobe and ran her hand over all the garments hanging inside. Almost all of them were dresses, which some random tunics and trousers thrown in, made from all kinds of materials from silk to wool to leather. Each piece was a different color with different design patterns. Everything was very stylish and royal looking for a young princess; something Ari realized she wasn’t nor wanted. None of these were her clothes though, and she wasn’t about to start using them; she wouldn’t be caught dead in any of them either. She closed the wardrobe and walked over to one of the two beds positioned near a window. As she sat down, she remembered just how soft and comfortable it was compared to her bed in the barracks.

The only thing she liked about this room was its perfect view of the ocean. Ari closed her eyes and listened to the waves rhythmically crashing against the rocks below. It was a refreshing sound; given she hasn’t been up here in a very long time. There were other places she could go to listen to the waves but she never really had the time for such pleasantries. She took a deep breath and filled her nose with the scent of salt water. This was the only thing that made her feel relaxed and sane. Even though she dreaded being here in this room, it was the only place she could go to be completely alone and find an unhealthy version of solace.

She turned and looked at the other bed. It was clean; neatly covered with silk sheets and pillows. But it was like that all the time since it hasn’t been touched in years. Many troubling thoughts ran through her mind as she stared at the bed that will forever remain made. Ari’s eyes were fixated on it when a knock on the door caught her attention next. But before she could even move, the door opened.

"Hello Ari."

"Connor? How did you know I was up here?" she asked through a sigh with what was clearly annoyance in her voice. She was alone no longer.

Connor's own voice was soft and shaky. "Irene mentioned she saw you going up this way. Also, I heard the door slam. Are you okay?"

Ari stared at him bitterly. She thought it was apparent how she felt, and hated when people asked. The only reason he was here was to find out what happened, but she could hardly bring herself to talk about it any longer. It was the last thing she wanted to do right now. Or ever.

"Do I look okay to you?" she asked, vexed. Her eyes shifted back towards the bed.

He cleared his throat. "I was going to ask you about the meeting. Clearly, something went wrong." Connors tone became low. "So, what happened?"

Ari glanced back at him. "In two days, father wants me to go with him and Alek to the dungeon to get  _ her _ ."

Connor's eyes got wide and his voice started trembling. "W-What? No, you-you can't be serious. I thought the meeting was about solving our problems, not adding to them!"

"Me too."

"Surely nobody agreed to that, right? And in two days? Is anybody even going to be prepared? It's such short notice!"

"No, and no matter how long we take nobody will ever be prepared for this and what’s to come." Her voice rose. "This will turn into an absolute disaster and father will for once see I am right. And I can’t wait for the day he allows me to put my blade through her heart." Ari clenched her hands together as if she were crushing a heart between them.

Perhaps that was excessive. Irene asked her not to lose herself over this decision, but there were so many feelings surging through her mind and heart that is was difficult to remain calm.

She looked at Connor and a chill ran down her spine. His mouth hung open slightly from the sudden turn this conversation took. This was not something her father would like to hear from her again. Despite what everybody thought of him and his talents, Zafar was always a merciful king. Ari couldn't remember the last time he had somebody executed for a real crime. She only remembered the execution that destroyed what little of their relationship they had left. Now, they just bare each other enough to work together and keep the city safe. The awkwardness between them could be cut with the dullest blade.

Ari let out a long sigh. "I'm sorry. I was out of line. I should not have said that." This time, she was ashamed she let her anger get the best of her. "Father taught us to be righteous and just. I don’t understand how this is either of those things though."

"You're right. It's not." He hesitated for a moment. "But, maybe this is the only way?"

"What? You can't honestly believe that."

Connor froze for a short time. "All I'm saying is, maybe you should try to have a little faith in fathers' judgement. He wouldn't make this decision if he didn't think it was right."

Ari couldn’t believe what she was hearing. "His judgement? You seriously think this is the 'right' move after what he's done? After all  _ she's  _ done to us and to the city? Or has everyone forgotten about all that?"

"N-No. We haven’t forgotten. I hate her just as much as you, but maybe we have to set our feelings aside in order to save our city."

"Everybody keeps saying that without realizing it's easier said than done!" Ari rubbed the sides of her head. She couldn't wrap her mind around her own brother, somebody she thought would understand her the most, also agreed this was their last option. He might as well have just stabbed her in the heart instead, for that is what it felt like he was doing.

"I’m sorry if I upset you further, I was only trying to help make this easier."

"Easier for who, Connor?" she snapped with strain in her voice.

Connor stared at her for a long while. He let out a jagged breath. "I think I’ll just leave you alone now. Goodnight Ari." He walked out of the room and shut the door quietly before Ari could say anything more. But she had nothing more to say anyway. Now she was alone, just like she wanted all along.

Ari fell backwards on her bed. She laid there staring at the ceiling thinking about what her life was going to be like in the days to come. The pain in her chest was starting to become unbearable. Ari closed her eyes tight to prevent the tears she felt building up again from escaping. She hoped the next time she opened them, this would all be one big, horrible nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this and want to know more (eventually) follow my very neglected Social Media Pages! Hopefully I'll have stuff to say in the near future!
> 
> Tumblr:/heartontheblade,   
> Facebook: @HeartsAndBlades,   
> Twitter @HeartsAndBlades


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posted 11/25/16 as the new Chapter 3  
> 

Two guards shadowed Ari as they walked along the wide stone streets of the city. The streets were rigid yet some stones seemed out of place, sticking up from the ground, making it difficult to walk. The buildings around her were made of the same stone, giving them a hardy and unbreakable appearance. It was refreshing to finally get out of the castle and enter the neglected society. The three of them entered the center square of the city; the market, which was a large, open area where hundreds of people gathered.

The sounds and smells were all the same. Loud clunks from hammers hitting steel could be heard in the distance. Smells of burning metal from forges mixed with bread baking in furnaces. Rowdy children ran from one another through the crowd as they played games of tag. Most people seemed to be in a rush to get somewhere while others were standing in front of stalls bartering with shopkeepers for cheaper prices on goods. Though, most of the time it turned into a screaming match.

Fair priced goods were hard to come by since most of the caravans carrying said goods get robbed. Now, shop owners were forced to raise prices to stay in business. Things weren't looking good for Aurora and everybody seemed to notice just how bad it was getting. Except maybe these children, who were too young and innocent to know exactly what was happening to their city. They didn't understand, and in a way, Ari hoped they never had to understand why they were hated so much. The people of Aurora were taking the full brunt of the guilds wrath.

Ari stuck out from the crowd significantly. Her shiny armor reflected much of the sunlight, making her an easy and noticeable target. She was met with more friendly greetings than not though, which was a reason why she liked walking around the city. It was relieving that a good majority of people still seemed to be holding onto hope and respect towards her and her family.

As she pushed through the crowd of people, Ari strolled near a stall with a small, old woman selling elegant looking clothing. Not many people stood around browsing her wares, probably because everything was made to fit the noble and rich. Every piece seemed expensive to the average citizen. Her eyes then connected with the old woman and as they did, a bright grin stretched across her face. She slowly walked up to Ari, slightly hunched over, looking exhausted.

"Princess. What an honor it is to meet you!" she greeted in her feeble, tired sounding voice, yet still managed to sound excited all the same. Ari didn't think it was possible for this woman's smile to grow bigger, but as it did, so did her own. Though, she wished she didn't refer to her as princess. "I simply wasn't expecting to see you, let alone meet you with everything that is happening!"

"All that has happened is the reason I'm out here in the first place."

"That is very admirable of you." The woman paused for a moment as she now appeared slightly distressed. "Oh, forgive me, I neglected to introduce myself. My name is Selda Striell," she said, bowing slightly.

Ari held her smile. "It's quite alright. It's a pleasure to meet you." She also took a second to reflect on the name. "Striell? That sounds familiar."

Selda's smile returned quickly as she relaxed. "Yes! My son, Enate, is a member of the Royal Guard. He served under Commander Cain before he stepped down. I haven't heard from my son in quite some time. I figured he is working tirelessly to keep us all safe, just like you are."

That put a small damper on her smile, seeing as this woman doesn't know what they were about to do was doing quite the opposite of what she suggested. "Yes, he is. We all are, in any way we can."

Ari couldn't help but smile again as she looked upon Selda's bright, old eyes and cheerful grin. It soothed her racing heart and running mind for the duration of the conversation. A few moments of silence later though, she felt a small presence to her right. One of the guards behind her leaned in close.

"We should really be going, Commander," he whispered in her ear.

She glanced at the guard and then quickly switched her focus back to Selda. They had a lot of ground to cover before the day was over and Ari did want to make sure there was still a state of order around the city.

"Selda, it's been a pleasure speaking with you but I must take my leave now."

The woman didn't seem upset by her words. "That is okay. I know you must be very busy. But please, let me offer you something before you go." Selda turned and walked back to her stand before Ari could retaliate. She stood a few moments longer as Selda rummaged through some of her own clothes and returned with a bright green scarf. "Please, accept this gift."

Ari's brows furrowed as she examined the scarf. It was short and thin, which made it seem like it was supposed to be worn with a nice dress. The craftsmanship of it was well made and it looked like a very expensive piece of clothing. It probably was expensive, and this woman was ready to give it away for free. "Oh, no, it's alright. I simply can't accept this."

"But I insist. It would be an honor if you would take this small gift free of charge for everything you do."

This small, unnecessary gift to Ari seemed to mean everything to Selda. Surely, she couldn't refuse such a thing if it would make her happy. Ari reached out and took the silk scarf from Selda's wrinkly, shaky hands. It was smooth and had a flower pattern embroidered into it.

Ari looked back at Selda and smiled. "Thank you very much, Madame Striell. Do you make all these clothes yourself?"

Selda seemed excited to answer. "Yes! I've been making clothes since I was a child with my mother. Sometimes I wish I could've passed down this skill to my own daughter, but my son is doing a fine job all the same. If you ever need anything made for you, it would be my honor to assist."

That was something to consider, though Ari knew she would probably never ask Selda for anything of that nature. Not because she didn't like her work, it simply wasn't her style. Ari nodded and finally turned away from the happy, old woman to take her leave. But just as she did, Ari felt a sharp gust of wind zip across her face. She quickly turned back as she heard a painful screech from the old woman behind her. Selda was on the ground now, and Ari noticed the back end of an arrow sticking out of her stomach. Her eyes got wide as she attempted to follow the direction from which the arrow came.

They bounced from building to building around them, before she finally caught sight of the person responsible in the window of a nearby house. Their eyes linked for a brief second before the man bolted from view. A crowd of people started to swarm around them, trying to figure out what was going on.

Ari turned to the two men following her. "Make sure she gets help," she said addressing one of the guards. She looked to the other man. "You, with me."

The man nodded as they both took off, leaving Selda alone with the guard. Ari ran towards the building, shoving people out of the way. She caught another glimpse of the assassin just as he exited the house and ran down a narrow path. Ari signaled her own man to run down another street to cut him off.

Still having him in her line of sight, Ari ran straight on through the same path after the assassin. He was much faster than her, but only because Ari had armor weighing her down slightly. That didn't stop her from staying hot on his trail. He lead her towards an intersection, and as the assassin reached the crossroads, he stumbled to the left as her guard emerged from another path to the right, striking at him. The assassin was just barely able to dodge him and continue forward down the street.

Now, both Ari and the guard were following him again. Bystanders quickly moved out of the way as the three of them ran passed, giving them more room. Ari noticed ahead of them the path became tighter due to a large stack of crates taking up most of the space. As the assassin ran, he pushed an innocent man to the side into the stack of crates, making everything fall to the ground. Ari stopped in her tracks and watched her own comrade, who was only a few steps behind the assassin at that point, get knocked over too. The creates burst open, allowing whatever was inside to pile atop them. Not wanting to lose sight of the assassin, Ari quickly leapt over the mess to continue the chase. The path she was led down brought her straight to the docks, and she was hit with the scent of salt water again.

Unfortunately, Ari did lose sight of him in the crowd as she turned the last corner. She stopped for a moment to look around but all she saw were the faces of fisherman and dock workers staring back at her. Though, some were staring a little way down the opposite end of the docks, which gave her a clue about where the assassin might have run off too. She hurried passed warehouse after warehouse, following the prying eyes to what looked like an abandoned one at the edge of the harbor.

Ari stopped in front of the warehouse entrance, where she knelt and found an arrow. She figured it must have fallen from his quiver, or he left it there for her to find. Either way, he must be here. The broken doors squeaked loudly as Ari slowly pushed them open. As she entered, she looked around but the place was so dark and dusty it obscured most of her vision. Little light seeped through the cracks in the wood ceiling and boarded up windows. Crates and barrels stacked high on top of each other, giving the assassin plenty of places to hide. She slowly walked deeper into the warehouse just as he finally made his presence known.

"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting the Commander to show her face around here." The assassins voice echoed throughout the building. 

Alert and attentive now, she finally drew her sword, which also sent a light echo through the warehouse. Ari's eyes darted from left to right as she tried to pinpoint the location of the voice. After a brief time, she turned to the sound of fast footsteps behind her. The assassin ran straight at her, blade in hand. Seeing as he was already upon her, she had very little time to react.

The assassin swung at her left side in one swift motion and Ari felt the cold tip of his dagger across her skin as she unsuccessfully tried to dodge his attack. She felt a stinging sensation on the side of her neck. Ari stumbled backwards to put some distance between her and the assassin as she placed her hand over the cut. Luckily, she reacted fast enough. The wound didn't cause any major damage but it still caused discomfort. Ari looked at the blood on her hand and then back up as the man was getting ready to strike again.

She had little time to examine her opponent, but she did notice he was going to strike to her left again, which was her most armored side. He only held one blade in his right hand so he had no protection to his left, which was perfect for Ari. It also looked like he wasn't wearing any durable clothing, so striking anywhere would do considerable harm.

The assassin took a couple of large steps towards her again and, as she suspected, went to strike at her left again. As the blade came towards her, she bent her arm upward so it would hit her armor instead. When it did, she pushed back equally as hard, causing the man to lose his balance enough for her to make her own move. Ari held her sword low. She pulled the blade back from behind him and across his leg. He let out a pain-filled screech as he fell to one knee.

Ari quickly positioned her sword underneath his chin as he dropped and held it against his throat. Through his hood and face mask, she noticed his dark eyes staring up at her. He was holding his wounded leg while his other hand was up near his head still clutching his dagger.

"And I certainly wasn't expecting to be attacked in broad daylight. But nowadays, you should expect the unexpected to happen," she said in a stern, confident voice. "Now drop the blade."

The assassin complied, surprisingly, and opened his hand, releasing the blade. It made a shattering noise as it hit the hard floor. The man kept his hand in the air, while his other was still clutching his leg. Now, Ari could examine him more closely.

His bow was secured around his body with a quiver strapped to his back. He didn't have many arrows, and everything looked makeshift and fragile. Looking closer, his clothes were decently made, like they was professionally done. They offered more style than protection. It looked like the same design of Selda's clothing at her stall. Maybe there was a connection. She got the idea that maybe she wasn't the target, but the old women instead.

"Why did you attack that women?" she asked demandingly.

The man let out a small, menacing laugh. "You think you've won." 

In the next moment, he attempted to strike at Ari with a blade he seemed to have been concealing. He went to slash at her leg, but Ari quickly stepped backwards, avoiding the blade by a mere inch. Though, even if it did hit, he would only be hitting metal. With his failed attempt, Ari kicked his non-dominant hand with her armored boot. He dropped the blade almost instantly and as he did, she stepped back towards him and stuck his face hard with the pommel of her blade. He fell over on his side and still attempted to reach for the dagger she forced him to drop barely a minute ago. But as he went for it, she stepped on the blade and slid it away from him.

Ari knelt beside the assassin, who was out of options at this point. "Yes, I think I've won."

After a brief time, she heard footsteps behind her again. She turned quickly, only to find the guard had finally caught up with her. He was late, but it didn't matter.

"Commander, are you alright?" he asked as he ran towards her.

"Yes. See to it that this man makes it to the dungeon."

The guard nodded as he stepped beside Ari and proceeded to restrain the assassin. Ari sheathed her sword as the guard lifted the man from the ground. His hands were securely tied behind his back, so there was no way he could retaliate any further. She pulled back his hood and removed his face mask to reveal his face, which had dirt around his eyes and sweat rolling down his cheeks. His hair was messy and his skin was all white, except for the red spot on his face she made after striking him with the end of her sword.

"Why did you attack that women?" Ari asked again in a more intimidating and annoyed tone. But the man just stared at her in silence. "It doesn't matter if you tell me or not, because either way, you're still getting locked up for attempted murder. I'm just curious."

The man stared at her a few moments longer. "That women likes to talk. I'm sure she told you all about her perfect son, Enate. He locked up my brother for simply stealing medicine our mother desperately needed. I blame him for her death."

"So you thought about going after his own for revenge?" She shook her head. "You're pathetic."

"That's rich coming from the person who will go down as the weakest 'commander' Aurora has ever had. All you do is sit up there in that castle, all safe with no worries, while the people you swore to protect struggle and starve and die because you're too much of a coward to do anything about the real criminals who are destroying this city. My mother would still be alive if you had the stomach for this job."

"And you're a coward for going after a woman barely able to stand up straight." The mockery and harshness in his voice was hitting Ari's every nerve. She quickly realized this man wasn't worth anymore of her time and breath. "Get him out of here."

The guard nodded and pushed the assassin towards the door. Ari followed, and as they emerged from the warehouse, she was blinded momentarily by the light. She stopped just outside the entrance as the guard proceeded to take the limping assassin towards the castle. Ari noticed the stares of the people around her. She made eye contact with many of them, who gave her small smiles and nods of approval.

It was only a partial victory to her though. The man was clearly in pain over the loss of his mother. Ari understood why they wanted to steal. Medicine was expensive and low in stock because of the guild. If they had done things the right way, perhaps all of this could've been avoided. However, they likely tried doing things "the right way" with little luck, which was why they resorted to this. But, the attempted murder was uncalled for. In a way, the man was right. Maybe his mother would still be alive had the guild been stopped already and they were able to afford the medicine that would've saved her.

Ari shook her head, and reverted her thoughts back to the woman who was still alive. She ran towards the city square again, pushing through the crowd to where she last saw Selda. The guard she left behind was still there, along with a healer tending to her wound. 

Selda smirked as Ari came to her side. "You're back." She gripped her arm weakly.

"Of course," she smiled. "Don't worry, that man won't hurt anyone ever again."

"Thank you, Princess." Selda's smile grew bigger, but it was obvious she was in pain.

Ari looked to the healer. "Is she going to be okay?"

The healer didn't regard Ari. He was solely focused on the wound. "The arrow doesn't seem to have hit anything vital. But I will take her to the infirmary for a steady healing session." The healer paused and looked up at her. "She should be fine," he assured.

That made Ari feel better. She looked back at Selda. "I have to go. But you are in good hands. I will let Enate know what happened and give him time to come see you. You two probably have some catching up to do anyway."

Selda didn't reply. Instead she just stared at her with the same bright smile. She was still so cheerful and positive even when faced with pain. It was a very admirable trait to have. Selda held out the scarf Ari just now realized she dropped when all of this began. This time, she gladly took it, returning a smile as she stood up to leave.

Ari navigated her way back towards the castle, leaving Selda at the hands of the healer. It didn't take long for her to get back. She went through the small gates and walked up the large, stone stairs to enter the front of the castle. The first room she entered was the throne room; one of the largest rooms in the castle. Ari could feel the softness of the long, blue rug through her boots that covered part of the hard, pale blue and white stone tiles that was the floor. It stretched from the entrance to the throne at the other end of the room with an Aurora stitched into its center. Several very large, thick pillars stood strong on either side of the room. The bright, warm sun shone through the stain glass windows that painted the walls with their colorful patterns. And the first person she was met with was her own, elegant mother.

"Ari! There you are, I've been looking for you. I wanted-" she paused as she seemed to take notice of the cut on Ari's neck as she passed by her. "Is that blood? Are you alright?"

She kept walking instead of stopping to address the problem, which wasn't a problem to her at all. Her mother insisted on keeping up with her though. Ari unconsciously covered the cut as if it would make it go away. "I'm okay."

"Are you sure? What happened?" After not receiving an answer, she stopped in her tracks with her voice growing in volume. "Ari answer me!"

Ari stopped in her own tracks now. She let out a large breath as she turned to face her mother. "It's nothing," she said as she looked at the blood on her fingers once again. "I just got into a small scrap with an assassin." Now that she thought about it, it didn't really sound like  _ nothing. _

Her mother gasped softly as she covered her mouth for a moment. "An assassin? And you went after him? Alone? Ari, do you know-"

"Yes, I went after him alone," she said cutting her off. "And yes, I know what could've happened. But that didn't happen. I handled it. Now there is one less assassin on the streets." Ari turned her back to her mother. It infuriated her how she thought this was something she couldn't take care of. "I guess that's not going to matter by tomorrow anyway," she still said under her breath. It was loud enough to get a response though.

Ari stood motionless. Even though she won today, what they were about to do made it seem like all of it would be for nothing. She suddenly felt a cold chill down her spine from the very thought of what tomorrow was going to bring them. She looked to the floor as her mother walked in front of her.

"I know how you feel about all of this, we all feel the same way. Do you think this was an easy decision for your father to make?"

"It seems like it was," Ari replied as she met her mother's dark eyes.

Her mother sighed. "I don't like this just as much as you. Believe me, I tried talking him out of this, but you know when Zafar puts his mind to something, there is almost no changing it." 

If this was supposed to help Ari feel better, it wasn't working. It was only solidifying the fact that neither of them had any say in what went on around here, regardless of their positions.

"Father said he is doing this to protect us when it's doing the complete opposite. This is undoing the justice we brought to the city and-" Ari cut herself off. She couldn't even bring herself to continue this conversation.

"You aren't afraid of her, Ari. If anything, today proved that you are more than capable of handling this. I think you are more afraid of what this will do to  _ her _ memory." 

Ari followed her mother's gaze to the only portrait that hung on the walls of the castle behind the throne. It was a large, framed painting of their entire family. It took hours upon hours to complete but it was well worth their time. This was done only a year before their lives changed for the worst. It held good memories. But now every time Ari looked at it, all she felt was pain.

This felt like a betrayal to themselves, and it seemed like Ari was the only one who felt the dagger in their back. A dagger placed there by her father rather than the assassin that caused them all this pain in the first place. This was something Ari felt she could deal with. But it's just something she didn't  _ want _ to deal with for the sake of her own sanity and integrity.

"I understand this is the last option we have," Ari finally said, admittedly. "But that's the exact problem. I understand, when all I wish is for it to be untrue."

"I know, Ari. It's the sad truth. But, we are all willing to set our hatred aside for the time being if it means bringing our city back into the light. Now it's your turn."

Ari sighed. She didn't know if she was strong enough to do that. How was everyone willing to go to such great lengths? There were so many different feelings fighting one another inside her, it was hard to think rationally. All she could think about were all the ways this could go horribly wrong.

"What's this?"

She looked down at the bright green piece of cloth still in her hand. "Just a scarf. The woman I helped gave it to me." Ari quickly came to the realization that the old woman needed her son. "The woman was Enate's mother. I must go and tell him what happened. May I go now?" she asked in a hurry.

Her mother nodded without asking questions. "Yes, of course." Ari turned to finally walk away from this conversation before she was stopped again. "But, please do try to be strong. We might be getting help, but in the end you're the only one who can truly save us."

Ari turned her head to one side, but didn't look at her mother fully. Her jaw clenched. The amount of pressure she just placed on her only furthered her fear of failure. She didn't know if it was a good thing her mother saw so much potential in her, or a bad thing she thought Ari was the only one who could do this.

She stayed another moment being quickly leaving the throne room. Ari headed towards the barracks, where she would most likely find Enate. And she did. He was outside sparring with another guard, and she stopped to watch the duel between them,

Enate was very skilled. It was true he served under Cain when he was in charge, but for a short period of time before Ari became the new commander. To this day, she didn't fully understand the reason why he chose her to be. There were far more experienced men who would do just as good as him, even though many refer to Cain as the greatest commander Aurora ever had. Ari was now the youngest. But, that was one of the reasons he gave for picking her over others.

Cain taught Ari nearly everything he knew. They've trained together since she was strong enough to hold a sword. He tried to teach her his own methods, which were all about being bold and taking risks. Ari was always more reserved and caution though. Their opposing stances made it difficult at times, but it didn't stop either of them.

According to him, he never spent so much time training somebody in her entire life. Ari always felt honored. He saw potential in her from the start that nobody else did. She became intelligent and capable enough to handle herself due to his teachings. "A young, fresh mind was needed to lead them towards a better future." That's what he always said.

Still, Ari wasn't sure she could do that, despite her own skills. There was much backlash after Cain appointed her as commander, with many expressing their negatively quite loudly. "She is too young and inexperienced," they said; points to which she always agreed with, but to a certain extent. Some even claimed a woman was not able to carry out this job, let alone hold its highest position. Yet, they were quick to respond just as negatively, and fearfully, about their recent decision to have their most dangerous criminal released. Who also happened to be a woman. Because of this hypocrisy, Ari wanted to prove them all wrong, one way or another.

After a brief time, the duel finally ended with Enate disarming his opponent. He knocked the sword from the guards hand, which landed just a few paces in front of Ari. Both men looked in the direction of the sword and stopped. They stood straight up as she walked towards them. She picked up the wooden sword and held it out to the man.

"You did well but your stance could use some improvement. You are too stiff, which will make it harder for you to move and tire you out faster. Try to remain relaxed and agile on your feet."

The man nodded as he reached for the sword. "Yes, Commander. I will try harder next time."

"Not harder, smarter. Now, give me a moment with Enate here."

Ari looked to Enate as the man walked away. His face glistened and his hair wet with sweat. He stared at her with his equally dark eyes, but it was as if he were looking through her. She had to tilt her head back slightly to look into his eyes. Enate was a handsome man with a lot of his own potential. His mother had every right to be proud of him.

"Is there something you need, Commander?" Enate asked with his deep voice.

"No, not particularly. I came to tell you that your mother was injured today in the market."

Enate broke his stiff stance. "What? How did this happen? Is she okay?"

"A man attacked her but she is fine, I assure you. A healer took her in to tend to her wounds."

"And what of the man who did this?"

"Don't worry about him. I took care of it. Your mother mentioned you two haven't spoken in a while and, although it's under unfortunate circumstances, you should take this as an opportunity to go be with her."

"Good," he said appreciatively. "Thank you, Commander. But won't you need me here?"

Ari shook her head. "Your mother needs you right now. I'm sure everything here will be fine."

Enate bowed his head. "I will return as soon as I can." He walked passed her quickly without saying another word. They were short handed as it was, but this was important. The timing could not have been worse, but one person could not make this situation any better.

The day was slowly ending, with the realization of the inevitable almost upon them as well. But that was the last thing Ari wanted to think about. She didn't want the good from today get overshadowed by her fear of tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this and want to know more (eventually) follow my very neglected Social Media Pages! Hopefully I'll have stuff to say in the near future!
> 
> Tumblr:/heartontheblade,   
> Facebook: @HeartsAndBlades,   
> Twitter @HeartsAndBlades

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this and liked it enough to stay with me to the end! I am a very open person so any form of criticism is welcome, good or bad!  
> Thank you!  
> 


End file.
